1 John 4:7-12
Many
people simply can't believe that the Lord loves them. Others believe that He
loves them, but only when they are pleasing Him in some way. Why is it so hard
for us to accept His unconditional love?
One
reason is that we have a hard time loving others without condition. We might
say the words "I love you" to our spouse, children, friends,
co-workers, or fellow believers but all too often are calculating in our mind
whether or not they've lived up to our standard. We sometimes excuse ourselves
from loving certain people because their behavior upsets or annoys us. The fact
that we place restrictions on extending favor causes us to wrongly assume
that the Lord does likewise.
Another
reason is poor self-image. Considering ourselves unworthy, we refuse to accept
God's love. None of us are worthy of the heavenly Father's goodness and mercy so
you can let go of that excuse once and for all. We're not coming to Him based
on our worth. Rather, we're coming to Him based on His grace, and our position
is secure in Christ. To put yourself down as "beneath His grace" is
to trample on His loving, generous gift. God arranged an awesome divine way for
us to be reconciled to Him, and His greatest desire is for relationship with
each of us.
If
you feel unloved or struggle to accept yourself, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal
the truth of our heavenly Father's love for you and to sink it deep into your
heart. Receive the truth that He reveals. It will be a completely different
story about your value as an individual.
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